At Midland gig, Underoath prove they’re still not chasing safety after 20 years on the grind

They’re Only Chasing Safety remains one of the most iconic post-hardcore albums of the 2000s from one of the most iconic post-hardcore bands, Underoath. Underoath’s sound has generally verged on metalcore with more unclean vocals—featuring more clean vocals from drummer Aaron Gillespie, They’re Only Chasing Safety has had the ability to attract a wider fanbase.

For me, the album served as my gateway into heavier music. I still remember hearing “Reinventing Your Exit”—the album’s lead single—when I was 14 and immediately being hooked. Over a decade later, They’re Only Chasing Safety remains in my regular rotation.

When Underoath announced a tour to celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary this year, I immediately reached out to our music editor asking to cover the show, even though it was six months away. In fact, when I saw the announcement on Instagram, I audibly gasped with excitement, inciting stares from the public around me. I wasn’t going to miss this show unless I was literally dying (I might be exaggerating, but not by much).

Show day finally arrived, and I was so thrilled I could hardly think about anything else all day. My only complaint is that it was at the Midland, which is simply too large of a venue for Underoath to fill. There were a lot of people there considering the genre of music, but it didn’t feel that way—a smaller venue would have made the show better. It meant that I wasn’t elbow to elbow with sweaty strangers—unfortunately, that didn’t stop a drunk guy from elbowing me in the temple and then looking at me like I did something wrong by simply existing, but I digress.

Static Dress was the sole opening act, taking the stage around 7:50 p.m. I hadn’t listened to much of their music before the show because sometimes I like to be taken by surprise, and luckily, it was a pleasant one. Their sound is pretty similar to Underoath’s—they’ve even been compared to each other previously—so I enjoyed their set. 

Underoath’s set opened to a stage set up to look like a living room, dimly lit by lamps, with Gillespie sitting on the couch. The last song on the album, “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape,” was the first song—which was a good call, as it’s a bit underwhelming as a closer. 

Lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain and the rest of the band came bounding onto the stage for the second song, “Young And Aspiring,” which is the opener to the album. But the crowd really came to life with the next song, “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black And White,” one of Underoath’s most popular songs. The sound of the crowd screaming all of the words to the song was nearly as loud as the band itself.

They played the remainder of the album in order, ending the first set with “I’m Content With Losing”—a perfect closer to the set, as it is, in my opinion, the most underrated track on the album, and the song I was most looking forward to hearing.

After a brief pause, the band came back on stage for six more songs, including their newest single, “Teeth,” and a track from one of their first three albums that they rarely play, “When the Sun Sleeps.” The night ended with “Writing on the Walls.”

Being on a Tuesday in the middle of a hectic week, the show was a pleasant respite from day-to-day life. The remaining stops on the tour are in for a real treat.